teapots teapots teapots

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Cheer up darlin

Richard Parrington and Katy Windsor are proud to announce the creation of " Cheer up darlin " Inspired by Picasso, this teapot is a loving pastiche on the famous "Weeping Woman" painting.A reverse side image shows how the face is transformed by a nice cup of tea.The price of this Teapot is £50 + p.p www.rteapots.com

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Starbucks Coffee Company Recall Ceramic Teapots

The teapots are labeled safe for microwave use, but the handles can become hot in the microwave oven. This poses a possible burn hazard to consumers.Manufacturer/Importer: Starbucks Coffee Company, of Seattle, Wash.

Incidents/Injuries: Starbucks has received one report of a teapot handle that overheated in a microwave oven.Manufactured in: ChinaRemedy: Consumers should stop using the teapots and contact Starbucks for instructions on returning the product for a full refund and a $5 Starbucks gift card.

Begs the question WHY would you put a teapot in a microwave? but then I don't even have a microwave!

Friday, November 25, 2005

The Artful Teapot 25th November - 5th march 2006

"The Artful Teapot: 20th Century Expressions from the Kamm Collection"Peabody Essex MuseumSalem, MA, USA The Artful Teapot: 20th Century Expressions from the Kamm Collection explores the teapot - a nearly universal domestic item - as a vehicle for artistic expression. This comprehensive and highly original exhibition features 250 teapots by over 100 internationally known artists, including Michael Graves, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, George E. Ohr, Cindy Sherman, and Beatrice Wood. The exhibition opens Nov. 25, 2005 and runs through March 5, 2006 at the Peabody Essex Museum.All of the works in the exhibition have been selected from the celebrated collection of Sonny and Gloria Kamm's personal trove of more than 7,500 teapots. Visiting art galleries and art fairs and commissioning artists to create their own interpretations of the object, the Kamms have together amassed the largest collection of teapots in the United States, possibly the world.

Marriage in a Teapot

Once there, she carefully lifted the teapot.The leaves held the truth of their future.It was written in scree, clouds and bones.What I need, he is saying, is a door to your alphabet.I'll set us to music, she promises, a songthat will never propose our ruin.

He knew she meant they were ruined.It was pouring out of the teapot.He recognized the melody of that song.It bore no similarities to future.It was knit by skeins of alphabet.It was turning to language in his bones.

She refused to discuss bones.She feared the ways they predicted ruin.He had already unraveled her alphabetwhich had been stored inside their teapot.She poured consonants into his future,but they made fog instead of song.

He offered to learn a different song.He took lessons in bagpipe and bones,wrote complicated scores for their future.She made a secret of her faith in ruin,brewed Earl Grey in the copper teapot.Lavender and bergamot became her alphabet.

She began to speak in fragrance. An alphabetredolent of song.They reconvened around the teapota clatter of porcelain and ringing bones.It bore a slight resemblance to ruin.It had adopted the fabric of future.

He contemplated a warp of future,this weaving of scents into alphabet.She stood accused of ruin,shuttling through his song.He played nightly on ivory bones,while she held her gaze fixed on the teapot.

Carefully, she removed bones from her alphabet.Cautiously, he plotted a song minus futureDreaming, there rose from the teapot, the merest aroma of ruin.

London Transport Tea Cosy

Teapot Apron

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Tony Carter's Christmas Open weekend

Saturday 3rd December and Sunday 4th December10.30-4.30 both daysFirsts slight seconds and real bargainsfor that special christmas present.Complimentary mulled wine tea and coffee, and light refreshments.Demonstrations on making and painting our amazing teapotsFrom 12am to 2.30pm both dayswww.cartersteapots.com

Teapot earrings

Make your own Automatic Tea Maker

Make you own Automatic Tea MakerIn February 1957 Practical Mechanics Magazine featured an article on building your own teasmade which suggests using a Smiths Callboy alarm clock and a 750w Pifco kettle (model number not given but probably issued as a spare for the 1045 or 1047).The writer, A.S.Neale, suggests mounting the teasmade onto a bedside table (as illustrated),complete with a lovely rectangle of formica upon which to stand your hot cup.The bleary eyed mechanic has obviously been working on his construction all night and is badly in need of his cup of tea!This issue's editorial introduces another ground-breaking invention:"Another American company says that it will have tape-recording for television on sale to the public in 1957. This means that you will be able to purchase a spool of tape as younow buy a gramophone record and record your own television programmes."www.teasmade.com

An intimate cup

The Golliwogg's Bicycle Club Teapot

The Golliwogg's Bicycle Club Teapot - Florence Upton made by T & R Bootey 1890 - 1906
It has the verse "A lofty point securely reached - Away our travellers go!" A fearful pace - This downhill race - They cannot stop - and oh!
# The Golliwogg's Bicycle Club was the second book in the series and dates from around 1896 - which fits in nicely with the mark on this piece.
Spotted on Ebay recently
Possible fake?

Monday, November 21, 2005

The Crane and I

Tea Pot Austin

Tea Pot Austin - Berkley, California (late '80s)This modified 1949 Austin A40 Devon Sunroof is rumoured to have made two trips from Alaska to the tip of South America.It was known as the "Tea Pot Austin" because the owner had installed a hot water spigot in the glove box compartment.It also had engine manifold "burners" which allowed food to be cooked!The Devon was originally modified for long-distance driving by Clarence Dow of Napa, California. www.austinworks.com

Michael Nobbs illustration

Michael is a tea drinker, artist, blogger and recovering ME/CFS sufferer living on the west coast of Wales. He recently started to publish The Beany, a sort of blog-in-print (also traditionally known as a book).www.michaelnobbs.com

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Tea Pot Juggler

Her name is the Tea Pot Juggler cloth doll. She stands 20" tall. Her costume has hand knited sweeter and socks. Fabrics are cottonand silk trimed in glass beads. Her little tea pots and tea cups are handpainted. She has a mohair wig and hand painted features.Made by Charie Wilsonwww.clothdollconnection.com

Lupton Tea Pot

Lupton Tea Pot You have heard of Lipton Tea right? Well, this is Lupton tea. A few miles from the town of Lupton, a natural rock formation is known simply as the “tea pot.” Outlined perfectly by the surrounding sandstone cliffs, this rock looks ready to pour a steaming cup of tea as it sits atop a ridge several hundred feet above the highway. www.explorenavajo.com

Poem Teapot

A poem by celebrated Tang Dynasty (618 - 906 A.D.) poet Li Po, Departure by Bai Di Cheng at Dawn, is etched into the sides of this large square teapot. The pot is an 18th Century design composed of medium brown zisha. The lid is almost invisible and the handle and spout are ingeniously contained within the confines of the square. "Departure by Bai Di Cheng(White Imperial City)at Dawn"

In the bright dawn cloudI left by the ChengA thousand li to JianglingOnly takes a dayAnd I heardIncessant cry of monkeys from the banksMy light barge has passed countless folds of hills.

The Goblin Teasmade

The first commercial Goblin teasmade, which bears no model number, was available in two designs in a cream, green or blue finish.The "Alarm Model" with its synchronous alarm clock cost £5/15/6. It is made of plywood. The clock is a synchronous Goblin Electric Alarm Clock (not manufactured by Smiths as previously believed). The kettle is chrome plated and fitted with a patented element.A lampshade "of a pleasing and modern design" was included.It is marked Goblin Electric on the dial just below the twelve, and Made in England on the bottom of the dial. The name Goblin Electric and "patent app. for" is on the back of the clock. On the underside of the base is the name Goblin and the number 1207.The example illustrated is complete with original yellow teapot marked Made in England. Incredibly this is in mint condition, with no stains or chips.www.teasmade.com

Friday, November 18, 2005

pots of tea

Ceramic Teapots by Chris Strecker

"Ceramic Teapots," by Chris Strecker, exhibiting through November at The Community Arts Center.Danville,Kentucky,USA Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.Chris Strecker was born in Greece and emigrated to America when she was 11. She studied forestry in college, but found herself drawn to the art department—and particularly to clay. She opened a full-time studio in 1976 and has been making her living as a functional potter ever since.

The Old Brown Teapot

Standing in a Flanders trench, the young soldierPeered into the gloom, as he waited for stand down,Which would signal the dawn, and rest from duty.His mind turned to thoughts of home.

Sounds of shell, gunfire, and warBlotted out by warm caressing visions,Of a cosy kitchen, glowing in lamp light.His mother busy preparing tea,The old brown tea teapot warming on the hob.

His thoughts turned to dreams,And he fell asleep at his postTo be awakened by shaking and shouting,The sergeant and officer demanding explanations.Inevitably the courts marshal followed.

The verdict as expected "Guilty"Punishment death by firing squad.They pinned a white rag on his chest,Tied him to a post, then again read the charge,He did not hear it; his mind was fixed on the Old Brown Teapot.

In the little cottage, the fire had gone out,His mother paused, shivered as she rekindled the fire.In the bright flame she saw her son's face,She picked up the teapot, the face disappeared.Suddenly she knew, the teapot fell from her grasp.She sank to the floor to pick up the pieces.

For sixteen years she had treasured them both.Now they were gone lost to her forever.

Honeymoon teapot

The Teapot by Mark Otter

Mark Otter is an Assistant Professor in the Technology and Society Program at Stony Brook.In his personal life, he is deeply interested in the relationship between spirituality and psychology, and enjoys painting and writing poetry about Buddhist psychology.

The pot in which I brew my teaIs dented and more than a bit tarnished,But I still enjoy the tea.The house I live inNeeds a coat of paint and several shingles,But I sleep well at night.The body I use to live my lifeIs wrinkled and slowing down,But I am alive and I rejoice.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Tea maker by Albert E Richardson 1904

Probably the first commercially produced automatic tea making machine was a fantastic device built by Albert E Richardson,a clockmaker from Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. This teamaker relied upon a tipping kettle.

This example, manufactured about 1904, was presented to the Museum by L. Mawer of Kingston Upon Thames in 1961.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Smiths Teaboy

This model features in a catalogue from 1954 [the year I was born!]The Teaboy has a Smiths Sectric Autocal clock/lamp in ivory finish.It is automatic and self starting, resets itself and needs no winding.Chromium plated teapot and 2 pint capacity kettle. The bodywork is aluminium with a 'special washable finish'. The price in 1954 was £13-3-0 (wholesale).www.teasmade.com

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Welcome to Taipei

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Magnanimous ode to teapots

An oversized teapot as a monumental tribute to the tiny teapots of Japan,made by Grayson MaloneThis teapot is cast in steel infused stone with a copper infused red oxide eature on the top of the pot. The teapot handles are of square steel rod,steel wire and polished bone. The lid is removable to reveal a shallow square interior which opens to the spout. The overall appearance is antique,satin-smooth metallic with slightly textural legs and interior.

Building a better teapot by Eils Lotozo

"Most teapots don't work very well," says Ceramicist Teresa Chang 40, who works out of a studio near Chinatown and sells her pottery through her Web site, www.teresachang.com. "They dribble, or they're hard to pick up, or the lid falls off."Her new one-of-a-kind teapots, which sell for about $600, are guaranteed to do none of the above. In fact, Chang, who offers a range of designs from traditional to Asian-inspired, won't sell a pot until it passes her own tea-brewing test."The lid has to be a perfect fit, so no air gets in," she said. Also key is the pour, which should not only be dripless but flow in a steady, unbroken stream. "Ideally, you want to have at least three inches of quiet before it breaks up."Chang originally trained as an architect, but her interest in teapots grew out of a series of workshops she took with a Taiwanese master potter, Ah Leon. "The first time I saw him work, it was almost like watching a wizard," she recalled. "The level of skill was like nothing I'd ever seen. I think he must know more about teapots than anyone in the world."Leon, she said, has done stop-motion photographic studies of teapots pouring, and compiled treatises on the proper curve and structure of handles and the optimum angles for attaching spouts to teapot bodies. Chang keeps those reference works close to hand when she's shaping her own pots, which can take more than 30 hours to create.Original article in full Knight Ridder Newspapers

Fire at Teapot Museum

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Fire at Teapot Island!!

This just in from Sue Blazye at Teapot Island..."We had the electricity supply explode here on Wednesday morning luckily I was here and was able to call the fire brigade before too much damage occured.We have damage to the corner of one room in the teapot museum and then it moved upwards and did two roofs.I have no mains electric and had a temp phone line put in yesterday.The scaffolders are building a tent thing over the roof so tomorrow we will not have any more rain in hopefully."Regards Sue BlazyeTeapot Island

Grant goes to teapot display

by David RiceThe foundation that receives half of North Carolina's tobacco-settlement money voted this week to award $10.8 million in grants to 54 projects across the state, including $220,000 for the Sparta Teapot Museum."These grants are focused on getting jobs, on other options for people who want to stay in agriculture - very much about preparing people for whatever new economy is coming," said Valeria Lee, the president of the Golden LEAF Foundation. "We looked for those possibilities that would show up in a person's pocketbook."The foundation receives half of the proceeds from the state's 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry to try to assist development efforts in tobacco-dependent communities.The foundation provided $380,000 last year to the $10 million project to build a teapot museum in Sparta, which intends to house a Los Angeles millionaire's vast teapot collection.The museum prompted controversy and wisecracks in floor debate when state legislators included $400,000 in taxpayer dollars for the project in the state budget in August.Lee said that despite the skepticism, "We are convinced that it will be a draw for people who would just be driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway ... who would stop and want a driving break. We just believe that the Kamm collection ... will be a continuous draw."Original article in full

Teapot on top of flagpole!

Friday, November 04, 2005

Newt Teapot

Newt Teapot (8") £220.00 made by Roger CockramRoger set up his own pottery in 1976 making large thrown woodfired pottery. He set up his present studio in 1986 and although a small range of domestic pots are also made at the pottery, the main area of work now springs from a gradual 'rediscovery' of the images derived from his earlier science studies.Visit Roger Cockram's website

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Teapot Mountain!

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

WOODEN TEAPOT SOAP POWDER HOLDER

Spotted on Ebay recently...This is a wonderful older item that was found at an estate sale. It is a wooden "teapot" ...specifically made for soap powder. Painted on this "teapot", in yellow, are some musical notes and the tune "I'm a little Teapot, Strong and stout - I hold Soap Powder, Pour it out."